Electric-railway system.



No; 707,844. Patented Aug. 26. I902.

J. C. HENRY, Decd.

S. A. HENRY. Execufrix. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed. Apr. 9, 1901,.) (No Model.)

C. DANGER.

"m: nonms Farms 60, Padre-Limo. WASHINGTON, o. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. HENRY, OF DENVER, COLORADO; SUSIE A. HENRY, EXECUTRIX OF SAID JOHN C; HENRY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO STANLEY ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,844, dated August 26, 1902.

Application filed April 9,1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Denver, county of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to what is known as the third-rail system, be= ing also of the safety class, the apparatus being so arranged that the current is supplied only to the sections of track which are occupied by trains. The approach of the train automatically switches the current from the feeders to the working conductors and breaks the connection after the train has passed over the section. The same operation also oper ates a block-signal system which prevents the same block or track section from being occupied by more than one train at a time, thus avoiding danger from collisions. The working conductors are arranged on the surface of the roadway and are protected in a novel manner, so as to avoid all danger to animals and pedestrians at any time. The

circuits are not grounded, so that they are not afieeted by accidental grounds, and their arrangement may be similar to the Well-known distribution arrangement as used in conduitroads, such as are provided with switches to change the polarity of the working conductors to relieve them of the objectionable effect of double grounds. In order to connect the working conductors with the source of supply, I prefer to use a small alternating current to operate the switches, the general scheme of which is shown in my Patent N 0.

509,312 of November 21, 1893. The switch is of the most simple and reliable kind, the

circuit being closed only when the track-rails are short-circuited by the wheels and axles of the cars.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a section of the arrangement where the double track is used and where the current is distributed on the three-wire system, Fig. 2 is a section of the track and working conductor, showing diagrammatically the switch used to connect the working conductors with the Serial No. 55,102. (No model.)

source of supply. Fig. 3 shows one form of trolley. Fig. 4 shows a modification thereof. Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a pole located centrally between the track-rails,which pole carries the supply-conductors and also the semaphore-signals. For convenience I 51 have also shown attached thereto a box which contains a rotary converter, a static converter, and a reverse-switch. Below the track are shown magnetically-operated switches whose office is to open or close the connec- 6o tionsbetween the working conductors and source of supply. The main current is supplied,preferably,on the three-wire system to the conductors 1, 2, and 3, which are shown mounted on the top of the pole, branch wires leading therefrom through the pole down to the translating devices. Wires 4 and 5 carry a small alternate current which may be supplied from any source or station. I prefer, however, to arrange for this current by converting from the direct-current feeders. The box D contains the motor-generator E,driven by the direct current and generating an alternating current, which is constantly supplied to the primary of the transformer F. This in turn supplies a local current which terminates at the track-rails J, J ,'J and J Ineluded in the local circuit are the solenoids B and B, which operate the danger-signal C or C, and also the magnet-switch K and K, so that when the track-rails are short-circuited these magnets are excited i and the danger-signal O is hoisted and current is switched onto the conductors P and Q.

To more fully describe the operation we will refer to the right-hand track only. The current is taken from wire 3 on top of the pole, down through the hollow pole by wire 3', through switch L to the working conductor I. From there it passes through the motor 0 back to conductor Q through switch L, thence by wire 2 up through to mutual wire 2 on top of the pole. The alternate current is supplied from the rotary converter E to the primaries of the different converters, the latter 5 of which are supplied to each blocker section of the road, which would in practice be onehalf a mile apart. It is understood that the rotary converters will be only needed for, say, each five miles of roadway. The current supplied from the secondary source passes from the transformer by wire 6 through the pole to the magnet-B, thence by wire 7, down to the pole through the magnet K to the trackrail J the other end terminating, as shown, in the track-rail J. When the wheels of the axle I touch the track-rails J and J they complete the alternate-current local circuit. This actuates the switch L, connecting the Working conductors with the main source of supply and raising the semaphore to the danger position. The local devices (semaphores and switches) are thus actuated by a circuit which is supplied from the main or working circuit by an inductive connection, and this inductive connection is subdivided, first, by the rotary converters, and, second, by the stationary converters. The advantage of .this arrangement is, that it prevents dangerous local short circuits being developed by accidental contact of a person or object with the track. In order that the local devices on the track-sections may respond to the presence of a train on the section, so as to close theworking connection, 850., it is necessary that the track-sections should be normally connected with an energizing circuit. In other words, they must be live circuits. If they were connected directly to the main working circuit of, say, five hundred volts potential, the consequences of a person or object makinga connection with same would be injurious to the person and to the system, as a local short circuit would result, at which a large part of the total energy of the main line might be concentrated; but by applying the electrifying connection to the track-section through distributed induction devices the amount of energy that is liable to con centrate at any one point on occurrence of a short circuit is limited to the capacity of one of such devices. Owing to the expense of a multitude of rotary converters,I prefer to provide a limited number of same, as stated, and to further subdivide the electrifying connection by a number of subsidiary converters of the stationary type, the alternating nature of the current in the secondary circuit conducing to this end. It will be understood that such alternating current may be capable of effecting the operation of the switch and sem aphore magnets, the same being properly constructed to respond to such currents. For the working current that operates the trainmotors it is desirable to use a direct current, as an alternating current is not adapted to such a purpose without the use of extra conductors and trolleys.

The third rail comprises a supporting I- 'oeam J, of iron, heavy in section and with its top and bottom flanges bent cold in the form shown. This is done to add to its rigidity and stiffness, and to leave a receptacle or aperture wherein a plastic material may be molded in and keyed or wedged bythe dovetailed or undercut form of the aperture. The rounding surface makes it easier for wagons and such to pass over without shock. It will be necessary to bend these flanges after the beam has been rolled,as it will be inconvenient to make the form shown by the ordinary operation. ductors on the I-beam'J, I prefer to make of hydraulic cement and to fill its pores on the surface with some moisture-proof material, such as oil or soluble glass. In this connection it is particularly desired to use some material which will vitrify rather than carbonize-from i he action of lightning,for instance. The working conductors P and Q are insulated and sustainedin position by the cement.

The trolley may be of either the sliding or rolling variety, somewhat as the form shown in Fig. 3.

It will be noticed more particularly in Fig. 2 that the I-beam which protects the working conductors occupies a higher position than the track-rails. Should a bar of iron or a sleigh-runner, for instance, be across the track it could but make contact with but one of the rails and the I-beam, the idea being to prevent the track-rails from being shortcircuited.

It will be understood that the form of working-conductor supports may be used in other distribution systems without departure from the spirit of my invention. For instance, the third rail may be used as the neutral conductor in a three-Wire system, or the trackrails may also be employed to carry the main current.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a distibution system for electric railways, where the working conductors are located below the cars, an I-beam arranged along the roadway having the working conductors protected by its flanges, said conductors being supported in position by a plastic insulating material and insulated thereby.

2. In a third-rail system, working conductors supported and protected by an I-beam, and insulated therefrom, said beam having its flanges arranged in a horizontal direction, the latter being bent in a curved form substantially as shown so as to stifien the beam and to leave a dovetailed aperture to retain the insulating material and conductors.

3. In a third-rail system conductors arranged and insulated within the side openings of an I-beam, said beam having its flanges bent together, substantially as shown.

4. An electric-railway system comprising track-sections,sectional working conductors, a direct-current-supply circuit and switching devices connecting same with the working conductors, and a plurality of local circuits each connected to a track-section and including a converting device whereby it is ener- The material 0 supporting the con-v gized inductively from the supply-circuit, and means in said local circuit for controlling said switching devices.

5. An electric railway comprising tracksections, sectional working conductors, and electromagnetically-controlled switching devices connecting same with the working conductors, electromagnetic semaphore devices, and a plurality of local circuits connected to the track-sections and including the controlling-magnets of said switch and semaphore devices, and subdivided and distributed induction devices connected to the supply-circuit and to the local circuits to energize the latter.

6. An electric-railway system comprising track-sections, sectional working conductors, direct-current-supply conductors and electromagneticaliy-coutrolled switches controlling the connection from the supply-conductors to the working conductors, and subdivided and distributed converters energized by the supply-circuit and connected to the tracksections and to the electromagnetic switches to control the latter.

7. An electric-railway system comprising track-sections, a direct-current-supply circuit, sectional conductors and switches controlling their connection with the supplycircuit, local circuits connected to the tracksections and including electromagnets controlling such switches, rotary converters connected to the direct-current-supply circuit, and distributing circuits receiving alternating current from the rotary converters and including stationary converters connected to energize, by ind uction,the local track'section circuits.

8. An electric-railway system comprising track-sections, a direct-current-supply circuit, sectional conductors and switches controlling their connection with the supplycircuit, local circuits connected to the tracksections and including electromagnets controlling such switches, electromagnetic semaphore devices included in the local circuits, rotary converters connected to the direct-current-supply circuit, and distributing-circuits receiving alternating current from the rotary converters and including stationary converters connected to energize, by induction, the local track-section circuits.

9. The combination with the sectional working conductors and the directcurrent-supply circuit of electromagnetically-controlled switches controlling the connection from said supply-circuit to the working conductors, track-sections, subdivided and distributed induction devices connected to said tracksections and switching devices, to operate the latter, and means for supplying alternating current to energize said induction devices.

In testimony herewith I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 7th day of March, A. D. 1901, in the presence of two witnesses.

JNO. O. HENRY. [L. s.] 

